He's 19, barely speaks English and isn't exactly what you'd call NBA-ready, but he's calling all the shots.

And this is the way it's going to be for Danilo Gallinari: Either he gets drafted by the Nets or Knicks, or he's staying home.

"I like New Jersey and New York. I like those two places," the Italian forward said matter-of-factly after his one-hour, one-man workout with the Nets yesterday in East Rutherford. "Now I will work out for New Jersey and New York (today), then I don't know (about) other teams."

The reason being? He has all the leverage a teenager needs, in the form of a very lucrative multiyear offer from his team in Milan, so he doesn't have to play in the NBA at all.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "Before the 16th of June we will evaluate everything and we will decide."

Most of the evaluation will be done by his dad and agent, Vittorio, and adviser Arn Tellem, who were both in attendance yesterday but didn't speak with the media. Vittorio Gallinari has connections with Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni -- they were teammates for many years in Italy -- but his son has met D'Antoni "only one time some years ago," so that isn't likely to influence the Knicks' decision about whom they will select with the No. 6 pick.

Indeed, given their backcourt deficiencies, the Knicks aren't likely to consider Gallinari at all: While he is undoubtedly talented with a decent frame (6-9, 227 pounds), he was never scouted by Knicks president Donnie Walsh (only by Isiah Thomas), and that team is not likely to make a high-risk/high-reward pick off a few shooting drills.

At No. 10, however, the Nets have no such misgivings. They just wish Gallinari worked out against real competition yesterday, which he refused to do. That was his risk.

"Yeah, I agree," Nets GM Kiki Vandeweghe said. "But I've seen him play over in Europe, we've seen him on DVD. You always want to see him play competitively against somebody close up ... because you can't see him compared to the better players from the U.S. You can't see the competitiveness, and that's going to determine whether you're going to be a good pro in the NBA or not."

Vandeweghe envisions Gallinari as a small forward, albeit a defensively challenged one. His strengths are shooting, shooting and shooting, but his athleticism is not highly rated by most scouts.

"I have no preference," Gallinari said of his position. "I always grew up playing many positions, from point guard to forward. So I don't know. We will see what my future coach wants me to play."

Notes: The team, which also has the 21st pick in the first round, worked out four other potential draftees -- Donte' Greene (Syracuse), J.J. Hickson (N.C. State), Kosta Koufos (Ohio State) and Anthony Randolph (LSU). Vandeweghe was especially impressed with the 6-11, 220-pound Randolph, probably the only one the Nets would consider at No. 10.¤...

The Nets are going to have a vacancy on their coaching staff: Pat Sullivan, the Bogota native who has served under Lawrence Frank the past three years, is leaving the team to join Michael Curry's staff in Detroit. Sullivan has worked in the Pistons organization before, under Larry Brown.¤...

The Nets plans to give away more than $250,000 worth of free gas to new season-ticket holders. The team will give back 10 percent of the total ticket price in the form of gas cards to fans who buy a season ticket through June 26.